Hard Truths
by HylianWolfos94
Summary: Worry fills the young Deku couple, as their attempts to enter parenthood have shown to all be negative. Time and time again, nothing but failure. Jace finally talks Iris into visiting a Clock Town doctor, much to her disliking. However, this visit may very well shatter their hopes and dreams...


On this early noon moment, worry fills the young couple as they awake. The past week was spent planning for and trying to have a child, but every morning they only woke to found Iris' pollination flower sadly wilted as if nothing happened. Yet another day has come where Iris awakes in wilted petals, and wakes Jace with her sobs. Jace was sitting up, holding Iris as she cried. He was silent, but his thoughts were running a mile a minute. By now, he knew something had to be wrong... But Iris refused to go see the Clock Town doctor, saying she was fine and that it was all just coincidence two nights ago. Though, truthfully, she was afraid they'd be right and find out there _was_ a problem. At this time, her stage of denial was dying, and realization had finally hit her.

"This is the fifth time in a row!" She cried with her face buried to Jace's chest. He spoke no response, for he didn't know one. He just pulled her closer and rubbed her back before eyeing the wilted petals and what remained of the wilted flower still in Iris' leaves. He sighed with a heavy heart and nuzzled his snout into her leaves and shushed her softly.

"... Iris, we can't keep ignoring this... We need to go see the doctor." he finally spoke. Such words stung as Iris huffed. "I know you don't want to, but..." He looked down at the wilted petals again, which made his heart ache, then continued "This isn't normal... Even if you weren't in season, it'd take a few days for the flower to wilt, not just overnight."

"I understand..." Her voice finally answered with tears in her tone. "W-what if something's wrong with me?"

"It could be either of us, but there's only one way to truly know for sure." Jace replied. With all her problems already, Jace was afraid it had something to do with that, but refused to voice it- with the chance he was wrong.

As time past, they prepared to leave that afternoon. It was a long trip as usual from the deep Swamp village to the capital town of Termina, Clock Town. It was a very quiet trip by themselves. Jace tried making Iris smile by telling jokes and stories on the way, but she remained lost in her thoughts. Eventually, Jace just came to wrap his arm around her as they made it toward town. Iris enjoyed his happy-go-lucky actions, but just wasn't feeling herself to joke with him, and he knew that, so took no offense to her being distant.

"So, why didn't we just go to the Swamp doctor? You'd think since they're Deku Scrubs, they'd know us better..." Iris grumbled as Jace walked them around town.

"I dunno... Life out there in the Swamp is so primitive. I feel coming to town would hold better results. Besides, I heard this guy's an expert on all races! He's been around Termina and has worked with many people. Surely he'll know what's up..." Jace assured her "The Queen's even mentioned this guy. He's a great doctor."

They finally found the place and walked in. There were many other races here all waiting to see him, much to Iris' surprise. A Goron who looked like he got into an accident, a Zora who looked a bit dehydrated, and few others. Though, no Deku. Iris found a seat as Jace walked up to the counter and set up an appointment. After a bit, Jace walked back and sat down next to her. The waiting list shrunk until they were called.

"Mr. and Mrs. Leavance...?" called a Terminan girl at the counter. "Doctor Sky will see you now."

Iris nodded, and stood with Jace as they hopped off the chairs. Jace patted her on the back, and spoke "Things'll be okay~"

As they walked in, they were both very surprised to see that Doctor Sky was a Watarara, a race of bird people. It wasn't often you saw them around town, let alone working in town. But it made sense that Sky, a Watarara, has seen a lot of Termina and knows a lot about other races, as Watarara are normally a migrating and traveling race. No wonder he knew so much.

"Ah, a young Deku couple I see. Don't see many Deku here. I assume you've come from the Swamp?"

"You assume correctly, sir." Jace responded "I was told great things about you back home. My partner and I are kind of in a bind right now..."

The Watararan just smiled assuringly "Alright then. Take a seat, and we'll discuss things." He closed the door, then walked back over. He found himself looking them over, noticing they didn't seem to have any obvious problems, so it must've been private.

Jace looked to Iris, wondering who'd speak up first, but Iris didn't look comfortable with talking about it. With that, Jace remained quiet as well as he looked at her. "..." then finally said "Iris?"

She looked at Jace, then lowered her leaves "I-I'm sorry... I just... Feel uncomfortable."

"It's okay, you can tell me." Sky said kindly "Just take your time."

"Want me to explain?" Jace asked. With that, Iris nodded, for she didn't really know where to start.

Jace looked up at Sky, and began "Well... Back around the start of Autumn, we decided we were ready for a baby. But since we've been trying, we've been having odd results..." he paused, then continued "She wakes up every morning with her flowers wilted. It's as if she's not... In season, but even then, aren't the flowers supposed to last a few days before wilting if not fertilized?"

"Yes, they are." Sky answered "Have you ever noticed these problems before? Assuming you've pollenated before these attempts."

Jace rubbed the back of his head, blushing a bit "Well, um... I guess... But, I just assumed it was natural at the time. Neither of us were real worried about it. Last week was when we started noticing it as a problem. Since then, she's been in fertile state, or should be...?"

Iris nodded a bit.

Sky seemed to fall silent for a moment, thinking of what to say to that. He was afraid there was some issue to the way she produces flowers. "Mrs. Leavance."

"Oh, y-you can call me Iris."

"Iris," he corrected "Might I ask if you've ever had any other problems? Say, health issues?"

"Oh, well..." She paused, then added "I was told I developed weird by my father. I've always had an off Seasonal change system. I flower in the Spring like most, but don't change in the Fall. I've always been much more sensitive to cold because my body doesn't prepare me for cold temperatures, and my lack of Fall change has signaled this. My body is always reacting as if it's hot outside."

"That's very peculiar..." he replied "I've never heard of such a thing happening."

"It's effected my very way of life, and requires a lot of care in the Winter." Iris added lowly "I've scared Jace on a number of occasions because I got too cold."

Sky put it together in his head, then asked another question, this time to Jace "I must ask, do you have any problems with your pollination flowers?"

"No, none at all." Jace said as he tilted his head. "Neither of us appear to."

Sky was about to say something, but Iris spoke up "Actually... I-I do."

"Wait, what?" Jace said, seeming taken aback. Sky would expect Jace to know such a thing being her husband and all, but apparently not.

Iris' leaves drooped, and she nodded sadly "It's true, Jace."

"But you don't seem to-"

"That's because I never wanted you to be concerned..." She looked down "I can't bloom at will, at least not easily."

Sky instantly wanted to test this. Jace was still shocked that Iris had never told him this. How'd he never notice...?

"We're gonna do a little examination..." Sky began "Jace, if you will, please bloom a flower."

Jace concentrated a bit, but easily bloomed a few of his little dark blue roses from his leaves without trouble. Sky then looked to Iris. "Now, you try."

Iris never thought she'd ever have to come here for something like this, but concentrated a bit. She appeared to be having some issues, and squinted. After some effort, a flower slowly and shakily bloomed from her leaves. Once it was bloomed out, she sighed.

"Iris..." Jace uttered.

"There is definitely something going on with your flowering system, Iris." Sky laid his glasses down on his table, then continued "With what you told me earlier of your other problems, I can only assume they have something to do with it."

Hearing that broke Iris' heart.

"You see, pollination flowers and seasonal flowers are different, but run off the same system and look the same. If you're not blooming during the Fall and you have trouble blooming pollination flowers... I'm afraid there is a connection."

Jace still couldn't believe what he was hearing. After all the years they'd been together, how'd he never notice? He could only guess that he never noticed her strain to bloom because they were too busy being focused on... Well, the moment at hand. Holding each other and kissing was liable to distract, of course.

"I'm going to examine y'alls flowers." He walked over to Jace, who felt awkward sitting in public with flowers in his hair. Spring flowering was one thing, but this just felt awkward. Sky examined Jace's flowers closely as he made comments "Very healthy and normal. Not a thing to be worried about here."

He moved over to Iris "Let's take a looks see..." He examined closely, but Jace noticed a look of concern on his face, to which Iris saw Jace's look of concern.

"..." Sky sighed a bit "That's not right."

"What's not right?" Iris uttered.

"... This flower seems to hold an underdeveloped seed..."

Iris fell silent, waiting for Sky to say more, which he did. "It's like this flower isn't meant to be producing seeds at all. If it's not too much trouble, please bloom another."

Iris did the same process and bloomed another strained flower, to which Sky found the same problem with. He finally connected the dots in his head, and realized what he was looking at.

He walked away silently, then turned "..."

The couple feared for what his answer would be if it even remotely matched his expression. He finally spoke after gathering what he had to say "... Iris, your flowers are unable to produce seeds correctly. These flowering defects are killing the materials needed to conceive."

Iris seriously thought she felt her heart snap from a string and shatter, as did Jace.

"They're developing into empty shells, there's nothing there to fertilize. Your flowers are wilting faster because they can't be sustained long." He took a very deep breathe, then said "I'm afraid you're unable to conceive at all."

Iris sat up slowly, shaking her head as if she didn't believe any of it. "No, that... That can't be... Right." in her head, all those times she told herself she had problems, and all those times Gewel or anyone else called her a defect or freak, it all made sense, and she started to believe they were right about everything.

Sky looked down, expecting such a response.

Everything they had planned. The baby's room they'd built from the ground up, all hers and Jace's hopes and imaginings crashed and shattered. Continuing the Leavance name, everything. Gone at that moment just like that.

"..." Iris stood quickly but silently, and walked out, leaving Jace to sit in there alone. He hopped up off his chair, and began following her as Sky spoke.

"I'm sorry." Sky said.

Jace shook his head "N-no, thank you. It's better we knew, then to be lead wondering what was up..." He turned back around to chase after his distraught wife, hoping she wouldn't do anything stupid out of anger. Knowing her, she probably would.

He found her walking outside to a Clock Town light pole, and leaned on it. Jace approached her from behind, when she suddenly punched the pole once really hard, making Jace jump in fear. She kept her fist pressed tightly to the pole for a moment, looking like she wanted to beat something senseless. She took the other fist and repeated. It was then Jace grabbed her now free arm before it could sock a third punch, and she tried forcing it away from him for only a moment before realizing it was Jace... She stared at him, body language of anger only being a mask. Her eye's spirit flared slowly, meaning she was sad.

She was always known to show her more deeper emotions through anger, but Jace could see right through it having lived with her for so long. Her expression made her brokenness obvious, and she suddenly fell into him and started crying as she traded her mask of anger for an embrace. She let her legs give, and Jace slowly fell to his knees to let her do so, but he lacked the words to know how to comfort her at this time. He could only hold her, before her broken sobs made his eyes well up as well. Silence was all he could give, though, he wanted to speak. What was he supposed to say? Just what more could a broken heart do for a destroyed heart? All he could do was cry with her.


End file.
